Our body reacts to a challenge by secreting hormones that cause a “fight or flight response”.

The main hormones are adrenalin and cortisol. They are secreted by the adrenal glands in response to a signal sent from the hypothalamus in the brain. These integral hormones enable humans to act under pressure and to confront a particular challenge. These are the same hormones that enable a zebra to run from a lion, or enable a mother hen to fight for her chicks - hence the term, “fight or flight”.

Adrenalin is the short term or acute hormone secreted in response to stress. It is the same hormone that causes the “adrenalin rush” feeling we get when excited or nervous. Cortisol is more of a long term, or chronic hormone secreted when stressors cause a given reaction for an extended period of time. Long-term secretion of cortisol is associated with depleted energy, decreased effectiveness of the immune system, difficulty concentrating, and even weight gain.

Every person is affected by stress in some way, and certain individuals are better at coping with stress.

It is important, however, that every person find their own personal mechanisms to deal with the daily stressors in their own lives, insuring that stress does not overcome them. Persons at every age are affected by stress and is most common for individuals between the ages of 20 and 50. Stress does not discriminate based on gender, nor race. Both women and men experience stress, though the types of challenges that cause stress are different between the sexes.

Learn More about Stress